Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, talks with Secretary of State John Kerry during a meeting at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2013. / Win McNamee, Getty Images

by Aamer Madhani and Susan Davis, USA TODAY

by Aamer Madhani and Susan Davis, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - With Secretary of State John Kerry set to begin talks on Thursday with his Russian counterpart to discuss securing Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, the White House is attempting to make the case that Russia's prestige is on the line.

Moscow is pushing for a diplomatic solution to head off U.S. military action in Syria, and President Obama called on the Senate on Tuesday to delay a vote on a use-of-force authorization to allow the Russian proposal to play out.

But as Kerry prepares to sit down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday in Geneva to begin the talks in earnest, the Obama administration is suggesting the onus is on Russia to hammer out a deal.

"Russia is now putting its prestige on the line when it comes to moving further along this diplomatic avenue," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday.

"Russia is (Syrian President Bashar) Assad and Syria's closest ally. Russia has played the role of blocking international efforts thus far to hold Assad accountable, and the proposition they put forward to deal with Assad's weapons presents a real opportunity, if it were to be successful."

The Russian proposal, in part, calls for international monitors to secure the Bashar Assad regime's chemical stockpile, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is also demanding that Obama take the threat of military action off the table - something that Obama is hesitant to do.

Separately, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - Russia, China, Britain, France and the U.S. - were holding a closed-door meeting on Wednesday to discuss France's draft resolution on chemical weapons in Syria.

The Russian proposal is already facing a steady stream of skepticism from lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are raising doubts about Putin's motivations. Obama and Putin have long had a tense relationship over a variety of issues, and the president has repeatedly expressed frustration with the Russians for blocking efforts by the United Nations Security Council to punish Assad for the 2Â½-year-old war that has left more than 100,000 civilians dead.

Russia is stalling and diplomatic efforts are likely to fail, said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"I believe that there is a possibility that this fails and we reveal the Russia initiative for what I think it is: It's just a stalling tactic," McCain said Wednesday at a reporter roundtable hosted by The Wall Street Journal.

The skepticism crosses party lines. On Wednesday, Rep. Eliot Engel said "Putin and Assad are not exactly people whose promises you accept blindly."

"I believe we have to go into this with our eyes open," Engel said.

Carney said that the Obama administration was heading into negotiations cautiously, while reiterating Obama's argument that the Russians would not have been drawn into floating the proposal if it weren't for the threat of U.S. military action.

The White House would not commit to setting a deadline for completing an agreement. Kerry and Lavrov will be joined by technical experts, who will hone some of the nuts and bolts of securing Syria's chemical supply - something that would be a time consuming task.